The present invention relates generally to support apparatus, and, more particularly, to a transportable support assembly for supporting a transceiver unit therefrom.
The infrastructure required to form a cellular communication system is comprised of numerous base stations which are positioned at spaced-apart locations throughout a geographical area. Each of the base stations contains circuitry to receive and to transmit radio-frequency, modulated information signals. A base station receives modulated information signals which are generated and transmitted by transceivers (e.g., cellular phones) positioned within the reception range of at least one of the base stations. A base station generates and transmits modulated information signals to transceivers positioned proximate to the base station. Because the signals transmitted between the base station and a transceiver are modulated at a radio-frequency, the base station and the transceiver need not be physically interconnected to permit communication therebetween. For this reason, telephonic communication is permitted at virtually any location in the geographical area in which a cellular communication system is installed. By proper selection of the locations at which the individual ones of the base stations are located, a transceiver positioned at any location throughout the geographical area is within the reception range of at least one of the base stations.
Each base station defines a portion of the geographical area. In a cellular communication system, such a geographical area is referred to as a cell, and numerous cells are defined by the spaced-apart base stations.
A portion (referred to as a frequency band) of the electromagnetic frequency spectrum is allocated for cellular communications. In the United States, the frequency band allocated for cellular communications extends between 800 MHz and 900 MHz. More particularly, a portion of the allocated frequency band, extending between 824 MHz and 849 MHz is allocated for the transmission of modulated information signals from a transceiver to a base station. Another portion, extending between 869 MHz and 894 MHz of the allocated frequency band is allocated for the transmission of modulated information signals from a base station to a transceiver.
Each portion of the allocated frequency band is divided into a plurality of transmission channels. Existing United States cellular communication systems define transmission channels of 30 KHz bandwidths. 832 transmission channels are defined in each portion of the allocated frequency band. At least 832 two-way communications may be effectuated in such a system. By suitable selection of the positions at which the base stations are located, individual ones of the transmission channels may be reused, thereby increasing the number of two-way communications which may be simultaneously transmitted in a cellular system.
Signals generated and transmitted by both the transceivers and the base stations of the cellular system are low-power signals; therefore, signals transmitted by a transceiver or a base station at a location not adjacent, or otherwise proximate, to a base station or transceiver located at a distant portion of the geographical area in which the cellular system is installed are not detected by the distant base station. Therefore, the transmission channels over which the signals are transmitted in one portion, i.e., cell, of the geographical area may be reused. Proper selection of the locations at which the base stations are positioned permits the limited number (in the United States, e.g., 832) of transmission channels defined over the allocated frequency band to be reused many times.
The base stations are connected to a conventional telephone system to permit signals transmitted to individual ones of the base stations to be transmitted therealong. Similarly, the user of a conventional telephone system transmits signals to the individual ones of the base stations according to conventional methods, and, as the signal is received at an individual one of the base stations, the signal is modulated and transmitted to a transceiver positioned in the cell defined by the individual one of the base stations.
While a user may communicate telephonically through a cellular communication system when situated at any fixed location in the geographical area encompassed by the cellular communication system, telephonic communication is additionally permitted when the transceiver is positioned in an automobile, or other vehicle, which is traveling through one or more of the cells of the cellular system. Continuous communication is permitted of an operator of a transceiver traveling in a vehicle as the vehicle passes from one cell to an adjacent cell by a process referred to as "handing off" in which the signal transmitted by the transceiver is received by the base station of the cell in which the vehicle enters. When carried in a vehicle, a transceiver forming a cellular phone is referred to as a mobile phone. As the vehicle in which the mobile phone is positioned travels through successive cells, the signals transmitted by the mobile phone are received by successive base stations to permit continuity of telephonic communication.
Initially, mobile phone constructions were of significant dimensions and weights. In fact, in many instances, the phone constructions were of such large dimensions that substantial portions of the phones were placed in a trunk, or other storage area, of the vehicle. Such constructions were, in many instances, installed in a vehicle only with significant difficulty, and, once installed, were considered to be permanently affixed to the vehicle.
Technical improvement in cellular phone construction has resulted in progressively smaller phone designs. In fact, some cellular phone constructions are now of dimensions and weights to permit their carriage by individuals. For instance, some mobile phone constructions, although primarily intended for use in a vehicle, are of dimensions and weights to permit their carriage by a user to permit communication therewith when positioned away from a vehicle.
Typically, a cellular phone is comprised of a first portion forming a transceiver unit comprising transmit/receive circuitry housed within a housing, a second portion comprised of a handset supporting a speaker element and a microphone, and a power supply portion. A mobile phone mounted in a vehicle typically is connected to the vehicular power supply to powered thereby. When removed from vehicle and positioned remote therefrom, an alternate source of power must, of course, be supplied to the phone to permit operation thereof.
Battery power sources required to provide power to operate the cellular phones have similarly been increasingly miniaturized also to be now of dimensions and weights to permit their carriage by an individual.
While increased miniaturization of the cellular phones have resulted in cellular phone constructions of dimensions and weights permitting their carriage by an individual, because a mobile phone is comprised of discrete component portions (namely, as mentioned hereinabove, the transceiver unit, the handset, and the battery power supply) such carriage by an individual can be quite cumbersome.
As a result, various support apparatus have been utilized to facilitate carriage of the various component portions of the mobile phone once removed from a vehicle. Most simply, the portions may be placed within a bag-like structure having handle straps affixed thereto. By placing the component portions of the mobile phone in the bag-like structure, the phone may be carried by a user by grasping the handle-straps and thereafter lifting the bag-like structure. However, to effectuate operation of the phone, the handset portion of the phone must be removed from the bag-like structure, and an antenna portion of the transceiver unit must be positioned to allow transmission and reception of modulated information signals.
Other transportable support assemblies have been developed in which the phone component portions are affixed thereto. However, such support assemblies require extensive installation procedures to affix the component portions of the phone to the support assembly, and to complete and maintain the necessary connections between the discrete component portions.
What is needed, therefore, is a support assembly for forming a transportable phone of a cellular phone having discrete component portions which permits simple and quick connection of the component portions thereto.